Fic: Memento Mori by 2ndary_author (in memoriam challenge)

[2ndary-author.livejournal.com]

Title: Memento Mori
Author: 2ndary_author
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Characters: Sheppard, Weir,
Length: about 2,000 words
Notes: somewhat slanted quotes from Machiavelli's The Prince. Minor SPOILERS through season 6. For the In memoriam challenge at sga_flashfic

Summary: "Yeah," Sheppard says, "I remember."

only the dead have seen the end of war

Comments

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was just lovely.

[penknife.livejournal.com]

This is gorgeous.

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

Very fitting. Nicely done.

[anuna-81.livejournal.com]

That was amazing. I loved the conversation, and the small bits about how they all remeber people who aren't there any more. *claps* Beautiful work! :)

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

Do you know anywhere on the web where the sonnets are translated into English (for free)? I only found this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1900072890?tag=openlibr-20

[2ndary-author.livejournal.com]

I don't, off the top of my head, but I'll look. Later versions have been published as Sonnets of the Resistance--maybe search for those? I have some in a commonplace book somewhere: I'll post them if I can find them.

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really like the story's conceptualization focus on mementos as a metaphor of the effect of war on endurance and loss!

[2ndary-author.livejournal.com]

If you're still interested, I found 2 Cassou sonnets and posted them to my journal at http://2ndary-author.livejournal.com/59463.html.

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I've never heard of Cassou before, and I always like stories where I learn something new. Your story was amazing!

[teachyrchildren.livejournal.com]

Beautiful and telling. Nice work!

[goddess47]

This makes me hope to be remembered in such a way.....

Nicely done!

[lantis-kate.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was lovely! I very nearly cried. Excellent job.

[bratfarrar]

Oh, heart-wrenching and perfect, as always.

[ozsaur.livejournal.com]

Lovely! I got a little teary eyed.

[corposant.livejournal.com]

I was actually working on something by the same name. Memento mori has always been one of my favorite phrases.

& This is really lovely.

[2ndary-author.livejournal.com]

Memento Mori was actually a last minute title. I love the phrase, even though it doesn't exactly fit the plot as it turned out. (Ditto with the epigraph). Now I can't even remember the working title:) I'm looking forward to seeing your take on this title!

[fanficfan.livejournal.com]

As bittersweet as it should be . . . and finely-crafted. Sheppard's last line, "I remmember," is so cunning in what it both conveys to the reader and seems to convey to Daniel. I would be interested in seeing some of those sonnets (in translation) too.

[2ndary-author.livejournal.com]

As soon as I wrote that last line, I knew that was going to be the summary--even though it only 'describes' the story in a very metaphorical way. Anyway, I found a few translated Cassou poems: they're posted at http://2ndary-author.livejournal.com/59463.html. Thanks for the lovely comment!

[fanficfan.livejournal.com]

You're most welcome. Thank you for searching out and linking to the translated sonnets. (I appreciated the opportunity to concur ruefully with your assessment of them there.)

[2ndary-author.livejournal.com]

I only have one of those sonnets in the original French, and it looks like the translator worked really hard to maintain the rhyme-scheme....which might be why they're a little, uhm, clunky? The translation has won awards. On the other hand, the man *did* compose them in his head under fear of death, so maybe I should just enjoy them as the product of their time:)

[julietink.livejournal.com]

This is beautiful. I love the vignette of John talking to Elizabeth ("they were both princes on Atlantis"), and the idea that everyone keeps mementos of someone. (That rings very true as an idea.)

The last line is great, with its multiple meanings.

[2ndary-author.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm not a big fan of John/Elizabeth, but I do like the idea that they have a special understanding, because they shared so much of the grand responsibility and mundane day-to-day details. It's lonely at the top.